Smash Brothers

How hard do you suppose it would be to create a Smash Brothers-like game on Mac? For those of you who are unfamiliar, it's a 2-D fighting game with a 3-D graphics engine -- very fast paced, action packed, graphics heavy.

The two biggest concerns I'd have would be: network compatiblity (1 second delay on WarCraft << one second delay in a fighting game) and playability (keyboard + mouse -- how to use them effectively without drawing away from the game experience).

But aside from those concerns, in technical terms, what would it take? I'm assuming of course a power comp language like C or C++, but that's about all I know really -- what more is there? Would anyone be able to outline some of the key elements in the game and a possible time spectrum?

but what if you did something clever that you could only do with a keyboard/mouse? for example, i'm not sure if i'd want to trade in the keyboard/mouse setup when playing FPS (and i've played plenty of FPS on gamepad -- a la Halo 2). i was thinking, since it is 2-D, mouse motions, if captured fluidly, might add an entire dimension to how well the game plays.

Leisure Suit Lurie Wrote:And people can't get gamepads for their Mac because...?

People can get gamepads for their Mac. But who's going to buy a gamepad when only a handful of games support this type of device?

Maybe of interest. I've played a fighting game for computers - a first-person boxing game. The punches work according to the movement and the speed of the mouse. Move the mouse up for an uppercut, sideways for side punches, etc. The arrows are used to dodge the punches of the opponent. It's quite fun and well done.

Freelance video game artist and video game compliance tester at Enzyme Testing Labs.

moonliterhythm Wrote:But aside from those concerns, in technical terms, what would it take? I'm assuming of course a power comp language like C or C++, but that's about all I know really -- what more is there? Would anyone be able to outline some of the key elements in the game and a possible time spectrum?

Those concerns are actually big gotchas- not all Mac gamers will have a gamepad, and using a keyboard+mouse setup means the only way to do multiplayer would be over network. And after trying to play Street Fighter 2 over Xbox Live, any kind of lag in a fighting game absolutely kills the experience.

To get around that, I would design the game and controls such that you have to play with more sweeping motions instead of the precision that Street Fighter and Smash Bros require. That way when you have that 100 ms lag it doesn't turn gameplay into a button mash.

But aside from that, here's a list of what a Smash Bros-esque game would need:

If this is your first project, I would actually suggest you cut 3D graphics and network multiplayer, and create a single player game with 2D sprites. Cutting those two things alone will save you 90% of your coding time. I also suggest you come up with a keyboard + mouse control scheme, as opposed to using 10+ keys on the keyboard or requiring a gamepad.

Along with C/C++, you'll need to use APIs for graphics and your application layer. I started with OpenGL for graphics and SDL for the application layer- it was a very easy combination for me, and doesn't limit you much in the long run.

I just thought I would point out that I've played SSB on a mac using an emulator and I'm now better at SSB on keyboard than on the controller (and I have a logitech wingman, so it's not for lack of trying).

When i was reading about using keyboard & mouse to steer a character in 2d, i instantly thought of Dark Castle.
The basic of Dark Castle is a platformer: You enter a screen, and have to leave it (Normally in the opposite corner of the screen) or get an item (Like a key). There are opponents, most often rats, bats or knight-like guards. You shoot them with rocks, which you collect from bags, lying on the floor. The genius is, that you don't just shoot ahead, like in most other games. Instead you shoot into the direction you point the mouse! The character would lift his arm in a nazi-like fashion, so you could easily see into which direction you'll shoot. So you are constantly adjusting your aim, which is especially nasty when the opponents close in on you (on the other hand: the closer, the easier to hit them). the keybord is mainly used to go left and right, as well as climb ladders and stairs, or duck (could the character jump? I don't remember). There's also an action key, to pick stuff up.

What i intended with this nostalgia-induced rambling is the following suggestion: move characters with the keyboard, shoot into direction of mouse, by clicking mousebutton.

Of course, if you don't plan on having shooting, i just wastet precious time of your life